Promises Unforgotten
by Riley Alicia Radcliffe
Summary: Promises are made to be kept, but not all are. When Harry makes a promise to Ginny that he doesn't keep, the consequences apply. Will she forgive and forget or completely move on with someone else . . . Please Read & Review!
1. Promising To Survive

**PROMISES UNFORGOTTEN **

In eighteen years, no one had ever seen such a traumatic, disastrous and never-ending battle. It had lasted two years. Two very long and tiring years. Yet, all the hard work had paid off. Lord Voldemort was finally dead, thanks to the wizarding world's hero, Harry Potter.

Still, no matter how much wizards all around the world partied and celebrated, the truth remained: the battle was not over.

Lord Voldemort's supporters were still out there, waiting for the perfect time to seek revenge. . .

Two years ago, when Harry had first arrived at The Burrow on his seventeenth birthday, he had made a promise to himself. He knew that if the Weasley family died at the hands of this war, it could easily be his fault. So he promised to make sure his real family remained safe; that he would die if it was to save any one of them . . . especially if that someone was Ginny Weasley.

He didn't know what it was, but there was something about Ginny that made him feel nervous whenever she was in the same room.

Since they had broken up at Dumbledore's funeral, he had felt a, somewhat, empty space; and since being in the same house as Ginny, had helped fill this space up.

The two hadn't talked to each other at all since Harry had arrived, but both knew they must soon.

Bill and Fleur's wedding was coming too quickly for Harry; because it meant he would have to leave his family behind to embark on a journey no seventeen year old should even have to consider.

Only, Harry Potter wasn't able to run away from this journey, because it would follow him for the rest of his life if he didn't face it and destroy the source of it: Lord Voldemort.


	2. Waiting

**DISCLAIMER:_ I own absolutely nothing. Except the idea to write this._**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Yes, all three of you.**

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**Chapter 2: Waiting**

_FLASHBACK:_

_Ginny Weasley sat there, staring out the window. She knew of their plan. Of what Harry, Ron and Hermione were going to do. But it didn't mean she had to agree with it._

_A knock sounded at her bedroom door. "Ginny?" her mother's voice said. "Dinner is ready. Come and get some food before your pig of a brother eats it all. I swear, he will turn into a balding, fat, ungrateful man if he continues. . ." Mrs. Weasley's voice trailed off as she continued down the hall way._

_Mrs. Weasley had become much more frazzled since the start of the summer holidays. What with Dumbledore dead and Lord Voldemort on the rampage._

_Ginny sighed. She wasn't hungry. Not when her brother, her friend and, well, she wasn't really sure what Harry was to her now. At school, when they had been happily together, Ginny had been starting to realize that, just maybe, she had fallen in love with Harry. But now. . . well, now, Harry had broken it off with her and she was no where near sure if his feelings had changed about the two of them as well _

_There was another knock at the door. Only, this time, it wasn't her mother on the other side._

"_Ginny?" said a voice the red-haired girl recognized instantly. "Um it's Harry. Can I come in?"_

_Ginny sighed. When Harry had arrived at the Burrow, he had looked at her almost pityingly. As though she were some fragile doll that was easily broken, and had been by him. Well, she didn't need his pity. From the small child in the Chamber of Secrets, she had grown. Not just in appearance, but also in mind. Ginny was determined to show her ex-boyfriend that she did not need to be placed on a shelf away from the action to keep her safe._

"_Yes," Ginny sighed again. "Hang on."_

_Unlocking the door, Ginny turned the handle and allowed Harry to pass through the doorway. He looked around the bedroom as Ginny sat back down on her bed. "So?" she asked._

_Harry suddenly seemed to grow nervous. "Um, well, you didn't come to dinner so, well, I thought ,thought that maybe I might—"_

"—_you might come to check on me?" Ginny finished for him with a raised eyebrow, and Harry nodded anxiously._

"_Well, thanks for the gesture, but I am honestly fine," The girl said impatiently._

_Harry sighed. "Ginny, we, uh, need to talk." He said in what may sound like an apprehensive tone._

_Ginny flared up at once. "About what Harry. I though we cleared everything up at the funeral. Or was that just half of what was going on?"_

"_What?" Harry was instantly suspicious. It was though she knew about the plan to leave._

_And so she did._

"_Oh, come on Harry. You don't have to be a genius to figure it out. What with Ron, Hermione and your secret little chats; the fact that you weren't going back to Hogwarts even before you knew that it had closed: and, of course, Hermione's mutterings about that you didn't have enough information to make a good start at finding Voldemort. And just so you know –"_

"_No, you are not coming," Harry instantly said, almost automatically._

_Ginny scoffed. "Well, of course I'm not. I was just going to say that I know where a Horcrux is hidden. But you obviously don't give a damn about what I think, so we'll move on to what you came up here to say!" she shouted this, putting all of the emotion she had been feeling since the funeral into it._

_Harry looked extremely hurt. "You know that's not true." He said quietly._

"_Do I?" answered Ginny in a softer voice. "I'm not sure what is true or false now. I haven't for weeks."_

_Harry sat down next to her on the bed. "You're not the only one. I've got absolutely no idea except for one thing."_

"_Then how come you were so quick to correct me?" Ginny looked into Harry's eyes. How they were so sad and lonely. How the vibrant green had turned into an almost grey colour._

"_Because the only thing I'm sure about is how I feel about you," Harry smiled a little._

_Ginny was shocked. "Is that a good feeling?" she looked at her feet, not sure if she wanted to hear his response or not._

"_Ginny," Harry lifted her face up to look at him again. "I love you."_

_With those three simple words, Ginny's life was turned upside-down. She had spent the whole summer telling her that Harry didn't love her, and here he was telling her the exact opposite._

_With numb lips, she whispered back, "I love you too."_

"_I promise I'll come back."_

_END FLASHBACK_

Two years ago, Ginny had thought that he had been telling the truth. Only now did she realize that he hadn't been.

Harry was alive, everyone knew it; but he hadn't returned. He hadn't returned to her.

Ron and Hermione had come home safely, and, even more, engaged. Yet the green-eyed boy Ginny was head over heels in love with had not come with them.

And now, after three weeks, no one knew where he was.

**Oh, so sort of a cliff hanger. Yeah, well, I'll update soon. Please review!**


	3. Footprints

**DISCLAIMER:_ If I owned Harry Potter, do you really think I'd be sitting here writing for fan fiction?_**

**Thanks to my friend 'Strange' for her help with this chapter.**

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**Chapter 3: Footprints**

Harry sat down, staring at his feet. He hated them. They had carried him away from his home, where he wanted to be, and they would absolutely not turn back.

He had done all he could. He had captured all the remaining Death Eaters who were known for what they were. Harry knew that there were most likely still more out there, but none of them were willing to show themselves without their leader of evil lighting the way on the path to destruction.

Now, Harry realized, he was able to go home. Go back to the Burrow where he was able to see his real family.

Harry had captured the Death Eaters in a surprisingly short time considering how vast the job. It had taken him a month to do it, which most would consider remarkable, but which Harry thought nothing of. He wasn't sure what he had done to capture the Death Eaters. Whenever he neared them, they just seemed to drop dead on the spot.

It was puzzling, but Harry neither knew nor had the energy to care what it meant.

All that he wanted was to be back at the Burrow with Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys.

This brought his mind back to another thing: Ginny.

Harry had had no idea how much he would miss Ginny until he was forced to spend time away from her. After defeating Voldemort, he was ecstatic that he finally may be able to get back to together with the girl that he had been in love with all along.

Yet the question remained: Would she take him back?

Two years ago, Ginny had said that she loved him, but two years is a very long time. Her feelings may have changed, she could have moved on, found another incredibly lucky guy who would not exclude her from what she wanted to do as Harry had done.

Or, she may have completely given up on him when he didn't say a thing to her even after Voldemort was destroyed. Ginny could hate him with a passion so large that the first thing she would do when seeing Harry is throw something heavy, sharp and hazardous at him.

Harry realized that maybe he shouldn't go to the Burrow. It would be too hard to face his family after leaving unexpectedly with no not of where he was or where he would be.

But where could he go if not the Burrow? Not The Leaky Cauldron, it had been destroyed during the war and was still being re-built. Hogsmeade perhaps? No, Hogsmeade was filled with reporters and Harry didn't wish to be hounded by them anytime in the near future. That left one place: 12 Grimmauld Place. It was not somewhere Harry wished to be but it would have to do.

**Yes I know. A very short chapter; but the next one will be !longer!**


	4. Discoveries

**DISCLAIMER: **No, I don't own Harry Potter. I don't own the characters. The only thing that I own is the choice to write this chapter . . . . I think.

_**Strange and C.B.: thanks for all of your ideas for this chapter and I'm now writing this so you'll get off by back making sure I update this story.**_

_**Thanks to all the reviewers!**_

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**Chapter 4: discoveries**

1 year later

A cloaked figure walked up the silent path, muttering to himself, "Lets see . . . number 12 . . . so that's number 4 . . . number 6 . . . number 8 . . . number 10 . . . and . . ."

The figure stopped in the middle of two houses.

The street had an eerie silence to it. There was no wind, no nighttime animals, no noise from any of the other house, and no lights were lit. Anywhere. It was as though no one else lived in this run down, old street anymore.

From his cloak the figure pulled out a piece of paper. There was only one sentence written on it: _12 Grimmauld place_

Stowing the paper back into the hidden pocket it had come from, the individual, almost inaudibly, repeated what had been written in the message.

Suddenly, the two houses on either side of the small alley started moving in opposite directions as an extra house unfolded in front of the stranger's eyes.

Quickly walking up the path, the figure took out a long, carved stick and pointed it at the door handle to this new house. "Alohomora!" he whispered.

The door unlocked itself, allowing the wizard to walk onto the threshold, only a small creak echoing around the entrance as he did so.

Slowly, the figure slid down his hood to reveal shiny, platinum blonde hair and a pale, slim face.

"What an unwelcoming sight," Draco Malfoy muttered in disgust. "You'd think _my _family would try and make it more presentable, even if they are dead," he looked around, lighting his wand as he did so. "I wonder where the treasures are."

Malfoy didn't bother to keep his voice down while he searched the kitchen for any gold goblets. No one was supposed to be here and this was his family home, even if, legally, it did belong to that apparent 'hero' Potter.

Harry Potter had been pronounced dead by the Ministry for some months now; it wasn't as if he would be jumping around this house of all places anyway -------

"What are you doing here," a cold, hard and hoarse voice hissed in Malfoy's wake.

Surprised, Malfoy jumped, dropping the goblet out of shock. Scared out of his wits by what he was seeing.

"You-your-you're m-meant t-t-to b-be de-dead!" he stuttered out of fright.

"Am I? Well, obviously, I'm not," Harry looked at his schoolyard enemy-turned-bad-turned-good-but-still-evil-in-his-own-way.

Regaining his confidence and trademark smirk, Malfoy picked p the fallen goblet and made to stash it in a pocket, but was instantly stopped by Harry, "What are you doing here?"

Malfoy blinked, "Taking back all the things that are rightfully mine!" he said with an air of superiority.

Harry grunted, and then turned around to leave the kitchen.

Malfoy, even if he did hate Harry, had never seen him like this, and, with immense difficulty, he spoke almost kindly. "Why haven't you gone back to your friends?"

Harry stopped short and hesitated for a moment before he answered, "Because they don't want me around," he said quietly.

"Really," Malfoy did not succeed in trying to keep an amused tone from his voice. "I was under the impression that they all wanted to see you again."

Abruptly, Harry turned around, an almost insane look on his face, his wand held at Malfoy's throat, "You are not to tell anyone. Anyone at all, that I am here," he hissed dangerously.

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"Hey Ginny!" A voice called.

Ginny turned around to face it and found Hermione. "Hey," she whispered back quietly.

Hermione smiled sympathetically. "We're all going to meet at the Burrow. You know, the whole family plus my parents and Luna, Neville . . . You know, the old crowd. Why don't you come?"

Ginny shook her head sadly. "I wish I could come, but I have to work. I'll see you later," and with that, the younger girl turned away from her friend and hurried away through the wind.

She pushed open a misted door to find herself greeted with the scent of sugar.

"Hi Gin!" another girl, Marta, said from behind boxes of _Butterbeer._

"Ah, Ginny," Madame Rosmerta greeted her employee. Can go and watch the counter with Marta? And watch out for that group over there. Don't give then any more drinks."

Ginny smiled and nodded, taking off her cloak, the bar was warm enough without it.

Since she had graduated from Hogwarts, Ginny had been working as a waitress at the Three Broomsticks. She didn't normally have a shift on Saturday, but ever since the Ministry of Magic had pronounced Harry Potter dead after absolutely no contact for a year, she had been working every day.

Sometimes, Ginny could feel it in her heart that Harry wasn't dead, but other times, she just realized that she had to face the truth.

"Two Firewhiskys please," a short, balding man said from the other side of the counter.

Ginny handed him the requested drinks, when she heard a familiar and unwelcome voice. "Oi, Weasley!" The voice drawled

Frustrated, as she really did not feel like dealing with him at the moment, Ginny replied irritably, "What Malfoy?"

"I've got some information you wanna know," he shot back.

"Malfoy, I'm really not in the mood –"

"What?" he asked, pretending to be astounded. "You don't want to know where he is? Well, excuse me. My mistake."

Tired, Ginny turned to face him, "Where who is?"

Malfoy lent close to her face so only she would be able to hear what he was about to say, "Potter," he whispered.

Shocked, Ginny took a step back. "B-but he's dead!" she said loudly, but not very confidently.

Malfoy smirked. "Which is why I just saw him. He's hiding out. Don't you ever wonder why he hasn't come to see you? Well, I know. You should probably know too. Stop you thinking that something good would have happened to you and your family for one-"

"How do you know? Why should I trust you?" Ginny questioned.

"Because I'm the only one who knows. And I could tell you if you wanted . . ."

Ginny hesitated. Here was her one chance at maybe finding out where Harry was if Malfoy was telling the truth . . . but Harry knew where he could find her and her family. If he just didn't want to bother, she wasn't going to bother to try and find him.

"I don't want to know, "she said clearly to Malfoy, who, after she spoke, left the bar.

_**I know, it's not that long. And yes it was pretty predictable, but, I've got plans for the rest of the story and I'm pretty sure it gets better. I think it will anyway. Please review!**_


	5. Chances Taken Part A

_**Thanks to Strange and C.B . . . . again.**_

**_It wasn't very nice you know, to not review my last chapter at all. Even if just one person reviews it . . . Cookies to whoever does! I baked them myself and they're triple chocolate! _**

__

**Chapter 5: Chances Taken Part A**

Sighing, Ginny closed the door behind her. It had been a long night at the bar with a drunken group demanding more Fire whiskey every minute.

Not to mention Malfoy making up some ridiculous story about knowing where Harry was.

Well, maybe it wasn't ridiculous. Malfoy hadn't even told her where he thought Harry was so it might be reasonable. But it may still be a lie.

Oh, who was she kidding? The thought just kept slipping away from her as she dearly wished for it not to be true. Harry was dead and she just had to face it.

No matter how hard it was to believe.

**THE NEXT DAY . . .**

"Ginny!" there was an impatient knock on the door. "Gin! Come on Ginny, let me in! There is something bothering you and I want to know what!" when there was still non answer or sign of movement from inside the apartment, Hermione reached into her pocket for her wand. "Ginny if you do not open the door this instant, I swear I will blast it off its hinges…!"

"Then you'd have to buy me a new door!" The red-haired girl stood in the now-open doorway with an amused look on her face. "Why do you always have to come over at the crack of dawn?" Ginny said, leading the way into her apartment.

Shocked, Hermione pointed to the clock on the wall. "It's 9:00 am!" she said, sitting down on the couch. "And, I want to talk to you. You didn't even answer when I floored you this morning."

"I would of if it had been at a civilized hour! Remember, I was up all night at the bar." Ginny took a seat in the armchair opposite her friend.

Hermione took a deep breath, "Sorry," she exhaled. "But, seriously, what's wrong?"

Ginny sighed and looked away. "Nothing. I'm absolutely fine." However, she then mumbled an incoherent sentence which Hermione could of sworn had included the words 'Malfoy', 'Harry', 'lies' and 'useless waste of space'.

Hermione pursed her lips, like she does every other time that she's frustrated. For some reason, Ginny noticed with a smirk, this happened a lot around Ron. Even if they were engaged, neither had stopped bickering towards the other.

"You're not okay," Hermione said gently. "Did something happen last night?" the engaged girl wasn't put off a bit with the arrogant shrug from Ginny. "Was it something to do with . . . Harry?"

Hermione had stumbled over her words for a bit in the sentence. It wasn't, Ginny reminded herself, just a sore topic for her to discuss. Hermione and Ron, Being Harry's best friends had also had a lot o trouble adjusting to the predicament.

Sadly, Ginny nodded. "Yeah," she said with regret. "Malfoy decide to join my company for a little while. Something about knowing where Harry was. Stupid. I actually, almost for a second, believed he might be telling the truth." She hung her head.

Sniffling and blinking back tears, went across the room to give her distraught friend a comforting hug. "Oh, Ginny. I know it's hard. But even if Harry wasn't dead, he knows where we all are. Why wouldn't he come to see us?" the older girl sighed, but then brightened. "However . . ."

Ginny looked up. There was an unusual sparkle in Hermione's eye. Almost as if something, or someone, had done the most spectacular thing, such as written a 4000 page book.

"What?" Ginny asked "What's got you so happy?"

Hermione bit her lip, "Well, why not give Malfoy a chance? We don't lose anything by finding out what he has to say. After all, the whole country was looking for a year and no one ever found Harry's body. It's worth a shot.

Rolling her eyes, Ginny nodded. Secretly, she had thought the same thing, but didn't want to be let down once more. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll go and find Malfoy now shall I? He should be at work.

Everyone knew where Draco Malfoy worked. It was an office in the Law Enforcement Department at the Ministry of Magic. He worked five cubicles away from Hermione.

Ginny flooed to her father's office to find no one there, but it didn't bother her. She wasn't here to play happy families. Walking straight to an elevator, she got off at the right floor and headed to the offices.

Finding Malfoy in Cubicle 10, she stalked in and sat in the seat opposite his.

Ignoring the bewildered expression on Malfoy's face, she got to the point. "So? Where is Harry then?" she didn't want to be in this slime ball's presence for longer than necessary.

Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "Why should I tell you for free? I'm surprised you haven't figured it out for yourself."

Her patience wearing thin, Ginny took a deep breath. "What do want me to do Malfoy?"

Then he leant foreword and said the most surprising thing he could ever have said. If he had told Ginny he was going to cut off his own head, she wouldn't have been any more surprised. In fact, she probably would have been less surprised.

Malfoy lent foreword and said, with complete seriousness, "Get Hermione granger to tell me that she loves me. And for her to mean it."

_**OK. So I don't have any cookies. But please review!**_


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